It is known in the art relating to catheters that after insertion of a catheter through a patient's skin into a vein, the catheter must be secured to prevent the catheter from slipping out of the patient's vein. Commonly, surgical tape is used to hold the catheter hub or tubing connected to the catheter to the patient's skin. Oftentimes, this method is ineffective to permanently, securely anchor the catheter and to prevent catheter movement.
Further, inadvertent movement of a catheter while the catheter is inserted in a vein is a leading cause of premature catheter failure. When a catheter moves in a vein, it scrapes and pokes the inner wall of the vein, thereby irritating the vein. Repeated movement of the catheter thereby causes sufficient irritation of the vein to require the catheter to be removed and a new catheter inserted in a different location along the same vein or in an entirely new vein. This is costly as it results in a waste of resources. Also, repeated movement of an inserted catheter can cause migration of the catheter in the vein or worse, may lead to the catheter being removed from the vein. Therefore, a need exists for effective anchoring/securement devices for catheters.
Moreover, catheter insertion sites are often dressed with a dressing to protect the insertion site from infection and the like. As a matter of course, these dressings as well as the catheter anchoring means (e.g., tape) must be periodically removed and replaced. For example, dressings and anchoring means may be routinely changed on a weekly basis. The catheter itself, however, if not disturbed, in certain cases can be reanchored, redressed, and left in the vein for a longer period of time. Removal of expired anchoring means and dressings, however, can undesirably cause disturbance/movement of the catheter to the point that the catheter must be removed and replaced. Therefore, a need exists for an anchoring means that can be removed from the catheter without damaging the catheter.